Rail grinding machine



March 24, 1936. R FARlEs r AL 2,035,154

RAIL GRINDING MACHINE v Filed Jan. 29, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet i v 0:010 Y TTT E N N w a m w wf N Q T6 A 2 W MIMMWK W nw fi xm mm w fi 7, Q m I I o w & a 1% an WITNIiSZ March 24, 1935. R. FARIES ET AL RAIL GRINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 EC}. E

v INVENTORS; Ralmfi Farms 5:. y :Iflhfl, 7721 $1365],

TTORNEYS.

March 24, 1936. FA'RES H I 2,035,154

RAIL GRINDING MACHINE I Filed Jan. 29, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I IIIIIIIIIA $111111,

WITNESSES: INVENTQRS: @fi 2 Hobart Farms 13; M y John Q Warns Wu. ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL GRINDING MACHINE Application January 29, 1935, Serial No. 3,922

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in rail grinding machines, and has for its object or purpose the grinding of rail surfaces to remove corrugations or other imperfections and thus to restore the rail head contour substantially to its original form, or to that form which has been selected as a standard.

Heretofore rail surfaces have been treated with a reciprocating grinding process to remove corru- 10 gations and imperfections from wear and other causes. Various types of apparatus have been proposed for rail grinding generally, but these do not re-shape the distorted rail surface contour in accordance with a standard design. The contour of the rail surface in its original form is important and is the result of careful designing and long experience. Constant use dissipates the form of the rail surface long before the rail itself need be replaced, and consequently some efiicient machine for restoring rail surfaces from time to time to a form approaching the original sectional contour has long been needed. The reciprocating rail grinder is slow, laborious and expensive in operation, and its use does not result in an even rail head surface. A waved surface running longitudinally along the rail head is frequently only accentuated by the reciprocating grinder.

The objects of our invention include, therefore, the grinding of rail surfaces in such a manner that the rail head contour is restored substantially to its original form, the removal of corrugations and other imperfections from the rail surface without destroying to any material extent such standard contour of the rail surface, and the accomplishment of these ends by a comparatively rapid, efiicient and economical machine.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate such a rail grinding machine in a railway 4o vehicle, providing means for housing the machine within the vehicle in a position well clear of the rails, thereby to facilitate the movement of the vehicle from place to place when the grinding machine is not in use.

Other objects of our invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of an example or embodiment thereof, having reference to the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

Fig. I shows a plan view of a rail grinding apparatus embodying a form of our invention incorporated in a railway car.

Fig. II shows a side view of the same.

Fig. III shows a plan view of a guide box forming a part of the apparatus and disposed over a rail, the grinding units being shown mounted in guides within the box.

Fig. IV is a transverse section taken about the lines IV-IV of Fig. III showing the grinding units in position for grinding different planes making up the contour of the rail surface.

Fig. V is a perspective View of the guide box showing the arrangement of the guides to receive the grinding units. 7

Fig. VI is a perspective view of a pair of guides for holding a grinding unit to grind in a horizontal plane. 7

Figs. VII and VIII are perspective views of pairs of guides for holding grinding units to grind in planes inclined to the horizontal.

Fig. IX is a side view of a-portion of a rail showing corrugations or imperfections which the machine of our invention is adapted to grind out.

Fig. X is a cross section of the upper portion of a rail showing the planes in which the grinders of our invention work to restore the surface contour.

Fig. XI is a plan view of a rail grinding vehicle embodying a modified form of our invention;

and, .25

Fig. XII is a side view of the same.

For the purposes of a detailed description of the illustrated embodiment of our invention, the apparatus as shown in Figs. I and II may be divided into the following component parts for separate treatment: a railway vehicle I having a frame 2, platform 3 and wheels 4, resting on rails 5; carriers or trucks 6, each having two guide boxes I in which grinding units 8 are suspended from the vehicle I; and operating gear mounted 5 on the platform 3 by means of which the carriers or trucks 6 and the grinding units 8 are separate- 1y raised and lowered.

The railway vehicle I is a conventional flat car which has been adapted to the purposes of our .40 invention. Openings 20 have been cut in the platform 3 which, together with operating platforms 23 installed below the level of the platform 3 on the carriers 6, provide wells for the convenience of operators in observing the working of the grind- .45 ing units 8, or in making repairs and adjustments.

Holes 9 are also cut in the platform 3 to accommodate cables of the operating gear hereinafter described. Electric power for the grinding units 8 is suppliedby power units indicated diagrammatically at 24. The power units 24 desirably comprise a gas engine and a generator driven by the gas engine. The details of the power units and their installation are well understood in the art, andas the particularly form or type is not .55

fastened to the frame 2 at each end of the vehicle I, and are mounted on wheels 3| which act as guides in centering the grinding units over the rails. The adjacent ends of the two carriers 6 are joined by a flexible joint comprising a pair of crossing bars 32 pivotally connected at their ends to the carriers, which permits relative angular movement of the carriers in a horizontal plane and relieves the rigidity of the articulated structure. These carriers are constructed after the manner of railway vehicles generally, with a view to withstanding heavy wear, and the details of construction will be well understood by those skilled in the art. When actually grinding, the carriers 6 are in the down position, as shown by the solid lines of Figs. I and II, and in this position the carriers are fastened to the arms 39 by bolts or other easily detachable means. When not actually grinding, the carriers 6 are detached from the arms 36 and raised by suspension cables 33 clear of the rails 5 to the position indicated by the broken lines in Figll. The grinding units and 36, in each of which a grinding unit 3 is suspended for vertical movement within guides 31, 38 and 39. Because the grinding units 8 are thus free to move vertically, the grinding pressure is governed by the weight of the grinding units 8 which may be reduced by the tension means as explained later. The guides 31 in compartment 34, hold a grinding unit 8 in a vertical position so that it grinds in the horizontal plane designated at A-A in Fig. X. The guides 38 in compar ment 35, hold a grinding unit 8 in a position inclined to the vertical so that it grinds in the plane designated at BB in Fig. X inclined to the horizontal. The guides 39 in compartment 36 hold a grinding unit 8 in a position inclined to the other side of the vertical so that it grinds in the plane designated at C-C in Fig. X inclined to the horizontal in the opposite direction from the other inclined grinding plane BB in Fig. X. Additional guides 4| are placed near the longitudinal center line of each compartment 34, 35, 36 to hold the grinding units 8 vertical to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

It'is obviousthat any number of grinding units 8 may be used, and that an increased number of grinding planes will more nearly approach the designed rail head contour. The series of ground planes, as illustrated in Fig. X, merge into each other, the angles between them disappearing under railway traffic, and they provide a smooth rail head surface contour which may be crowned or shaped to conform to any predtermined standard. In this manner even the curved filleted edges of the rail head surface may be taken care of, though we have not seen fit to show more than three grinding planes in the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

The grinding units 8 are each of the rotary type which have been found to work rapidly and accurately in a predetermined working plane. Though -which the grinding units 8 are suspended provide our invention is not restricted to any particular type of grinding units, it is found that cup wheel grinders are particularly satisfactory for use in the practice of our invention. A cup grinding wheel 45 is rotated at high speed by the drive 5 shaft 46 which is driven by an electric motor 41. The motor 4'! is supported in a holder 48 which is designed with vertical rib-like sections 53 to fit into the guides 31, 38, 39 and 4|. In this manner the grinding elements-8 are held securely in position in the guide boxes 1 so that the grinding wheels 45 will operate accurately in the predetermined grinding planes as shown in Figs. IV and X. A coil spring 44 and turnbuckle 49 from tension means for adjustment of the working pressure of the grinding wheels 45 on the rail surface. Obviously the tension means are readily accessible to an operator on the platform 23.

The operating gear for raising and lowering the grinding units 8', as shown in Figs. I and II, is in the form of winches 50 having shafts5| on which are mounted drums .52, with suspension cables 55 winding around the drums 52. The

shaft 5| is turned by a hand wheel '58 operating 2- (ill having drums 6| with the suspension cables 33 winding around the drums, and a hand wheel 62 operatnig through a worm gear 63.

The suspension cables 55 for the grinding units 8 pass through the holes 9 in the vehicle platform 3, and. the suspension cables 33 for the-carriers 6 pass through similar holes 9 in the vehicle .3

platform. The grinding units 8 are movable separately from the carriers 6 in order to permit their removal from rail contact without having to raise the carrier 6. This is important at crossings where the grinding wheels 45 might be damaged, and at frogs, guard rails, switch points or other places which should not be ground; and a momentary interruption in grinding contact is therefore necessary.

In the modified form of our invention shown in 45 Figs. XI and X11, the operating gear has been modified. In this operation the two carriers ;6 are raised and lowered simultaneously by a common winch 59a which is operated by .pressure cylinders 64. The pressure cylinders 64 serve :to rotate a drum 65 on a shaft 66 disposed centrally of the vehicle. The shaft 66 has at its ends .drums 61 on which are wound the suspension cables 33a for the carriers 6. Certain of the cables 33a lead to the far ends of the carriers 6 oversheaves .55

riers 6 are firmly secured by appropriate means. Q When a grinding operationis to be performed the carriers 6 and grinding units 8 are lowered into place with the wheels 3| engaging the rails 5. The carriers 6 are then securely fastened. to

the arms 30 and the power units 24 are set in operation. Grinding pressure on the rail head surface is adjusted by an operator on the platforms 23 by manipulation of .the turnbuckles 49 to vary the tension on the springs 44. As the vehicle moves along the rails 5, corrugations and imperfections are ground down into smooth planes which under trafiic quickly merge into each other and substantially approximate the sectional contour of a standard rail head surface. The grinding wheels 45 may be momentarily removed from contact with the rails 5 in order to avoid the grinding of frogs, switch points or the like, by operation of the winches 50.

Thus our invention greatly increases the useful life'of rails without removing them from their place in track. The original rail surface contour is substantially restored, and corrugations (see Fig. IV) and other imperfections ground down.

,This is done with a rapidity and ease which makes constant attention to rail head surfaces feasible. The machine may be moved with the facility of any railway car and quickly made ready for grinding on arrival at its destination. The skilled attention of the operator is made possible by the platforms 23 and the adjustable tension means In accessible from the platforms. By our invention it is now possible to make frequent grindings to keep rail surfaces in a condition substantially like the original design.

While we have described our invention in some detail with reference to one example of the invention as applied to a railway vehicle and a modification thereof, it will be apparent that numerous changes may be made in the form of the grinding machine and that certain features of the invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features, all without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described our invention, we cl aim:

1. A rail grinding machine comprising a railway vehicle, a vertically movable carrier having wheels; means attached to said vehicle for supporting said carrier under said vehicle with the carrier wheels engaging the rails to be ground, said carrier being detachable therefrom, means for raising said carrier clear of the rails, a plurality of rotary grinding units mounted for coordinated predetermined guided movement within said carrier, and means for individually moving said grinding elements in a vertical direction.

2. A rail grinding machine comprising a frame, means for supporting said frame over a rail, a plurality of rotary grinding elements having grinding wheels facing downward to engage the rail head surface, a guiding means connecting each grinding element to the frame affording free axial movement, the extended axes of said g inding wheels each being normal to the sectional contour of a predetermined standard rail head surface at the point of intersection and intersecting said standard rail head surface at points spaced transversely thereof for coordinated grinding.

3. A rail grinding machine according to claim 2 characterized by the further fact that said frame has rail engaging wheels.

4. A rail grinding machine according to claim 2 characterized by the further fact that said grinding elements are supported by adjustable suspension members.

5. A rail grinding machine according to claim 2 characterized by the further fact that the means for supporting said frame over a rail include means for elevating the frame from the rail.

6. A rail grinding machine according to claim 2 characterized by the further fact that an operators platform is provided on the frame opposite the grinding elements.

7. A rail grinding machine comprising a rail vehicle, a carrier attached to said vehicle and having rail engaging wheels, a plurality of rotary grinding units engaging said carrier for guided axial movement with the faces of said grinding wheels facing downward to engage the rail head surface, the extended axes of said grinding wheels each being normal to the contour of a predetermined standard rail head surface at the point of intersection and intersecting said standard rail head surface at points spaced transversely thereof for coordinated grinding, characterized by the further fact that a plurality of said carriers are interconnected under the vehicle by a flexible joint.

ROBERT FARIES. JOHN G. HARTLEY. 

